Trajan® - 155 mm / 52 Calibre Towed Gun System (TGS) by Larsen & Toubro & KNDS

The Trajan® - 155 mm / 52 Calibre Towed Artillery Gun System (TGS), developed jointly by Larsen & Toubro of India and & KNDS (formerly Nexter) France, has bagged an export order from Armenia. In a move towards modernizing its military, Armenia after suffering a crushing defeat at the hands of Azerbaijan in the 2022 war is steadily modernizing its armed forces. It purchased the 18-ton ATAGS TGS when still not inducted into the Indian Army. Now it has selected India’s 13-ton Trajan® 155 mm/ 52 Calibre towed artillery gun system.

Armenia has previously bought Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher, Akash 1S SAMs, and Arudhra radar systems to boost its artillery and aerial defense capabilities. This decision to buy Trajan® marks Armenia’s strategic pivot towards India for advanced defense technologies amidst evolving regional security challenges and the need to diversify its arms suppliers beyond Russia. The partnership signifies the deepening defense ties between India and Armenia, showcasing India’s growing influence in the global arms market; reinforcing it, and enhancing India’s strategic footprint in the Caucasus region.

Trajan® 155mm/ 52 Calibre Howitzer Features

    ·      Weight: around 13,000 kg

    ·      Armament: One 155 mm / 52-calibre gun

     ·      Advanced targeting systems and auxiliary power units

   ·  Compatibility: Compatible with varied terrains and adaptable for both offensive and defensive operations.

    ·      Ammunition: NATO standard 155mm shells, ERFB, smart ammunition

    ·      Firing range: Up to 42 km with extended range projectiles like the ERFB-BB and more than 55 km with rocket-assisted ammunition

    ·      Rate of fire: Up to 45 rounds in 30 minutes; 3 rounds in less than 30 seconds; 12 rounds in less than 3 minutes; 42 rounds in less than 60 minutes

  · Combat equipment: Muzzle velocity radar, inertial navigation unit, and ballistic computer

·      Terrain: Can operate on various terrains, including marshy lowlands to high-altitude cold deserts, roads and off-road

   ·      Speed: Road speeds of up to 80 km/h and off-road speeds of about 30 km/h

  · Fire control systems: Modern fire control systems for improved accuracy and efficiency

Trajan® is a towed artillery system that can be transported by air using heavy transport aircraft like IL76 and C17 Globemaster III. Several parts of this 155 mm/52-calibre towed gun system have been indigenously developed like the auxiliary power unit, control panel, and rolling gear assembly, and are ideally suited to meet the demands of modern combat. The modular design of Trajan® makes it a much easier system to transport and deploy, while its automated loading system ensures rapid firing rates. The gun system features advanced targeting and fire-control systems, which integrate seamlessly with modern military networks.

Trajan® is a state-of-the-art system that has been jointly developed by India’s L&T and France’s KNDS since 2011 and has undergone extensive testing. The system meets qualitative requirements for varied terrains and modern combat demands and, as such is a prime contender for the Indian Army’s artillery requirement that specifies that the artillery gun system needs to be less than 15 tons, a full 3 tons less than 18-ton ATAGS, which is dubbed the worlds best artillery system and holds the world record for longest range strike. That Trajan® TGS has not yet been put to use by the Indian Army but has been ordered by a 3rd country speaks a lot about the excellent capabilities of Trajan® TGS.

Indigenous Development

The Trajan® gun system has been manufactured in India at the Larsen & Toubro plant, where the focus was on mating together low-cost manufacturing and advanced military technology. Trajan® is an accurate and powerful 155mm/52-calibre towed gun system able to support any mechanized and armored unit and can be put into action in less than 1'30" minutes. The Trajan® 155 mm/52 Calibre towed gun represents a synergy between French and Indian defense sectors. While France provided the initial design and technology, several key subsystems were developed in India, underscoring the country's growing prowess in defense manufacturing.

Larsen & Toubro will start delivery of these systems, in the coming months. For France, this collaboration with India on the Trajan® system highlights its commitment to fostering defense technology partnerships beyond traditional allies, aiming for a broader strategic footprint. Larsen & Toubro and KNDS/Nexter showcased Trajan® Towed Artillery Systems for the 1st time at the 2018 Defexpo in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

Trajan® was previously evaluated by the Indian Army, which conducted extensive firing and mobility trials in rigorous climatic conditions and on several types of terrains. It is noteworthy, that the Trajan® deploys the combat-proven artillery ordnance used by the French Army and other armed forces in the world. In line with the ‘Make in India’ vision, around 40% of the Trajan® Towed Gun system was developed and produced in India right from the prototype stage.

Trajan® based on French industrially matured and combat-proven artillery systems through its quicker response, longer range, and improved accuracy allows users to cover larger areas with fewer guns and enables maximum maneuverability and quick reaction time while ensuring safety. India’s Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and France’s KNDS are also keen to offer a Mounted Gun System (MGS) variant of the system to meet the qualitative requirements of modern warfare and diverse terrains, if a request is made by the user, be it India or Armenia. The selection of the Trajan® 155 mm/ 52 Calibre artillery gun system by Armenia represents a milestone in defense collaboration between the two nations. It may be known that Nexter/KNDS has provided 145 of these Trajan® towed gun systems to the French Army and other armed forces already.

The uniqueness of these Trajan® systems selected by Armenia and evaluated by India is that as per the agreement signed between Nexter/KNDS of France and Larsen & Toubro (L&T) of India; the system will be built in India with indigenously developed parts added to it. Under the agreed proposal, Nexter will field Trajan®, a 155 mm/52-calibre weapon system; while Larsen & Toubro will manufacture critical subsystems for Trajan® in India which will be integrated into the gun system. Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has a shining track record of development and production of various types of weapon systems for the Defence Research and Development Organisation and Indian armed forces across land, naval, and air defense applications, K9-Vajra T Self Propelled Howitzer (SPH) is the latest example.